Struggling with frugality, debt, parenting, and weight

Detailed Financial Picture – November 2013

As of November 6, 2013, we are $457,037.59 in debt (that includes the mortgage). Without the mortgage, we’re at $37,157.08 in debt. This includes a credit card, student loans, and an auto loan. We currently have $979181.94 in assets (including our house). Our retirement accounts are at $333,083.66. Our Net Worth is $522,144.35 (includes house and mortgage), up from $511,373.74 last month (2.11% increase).

Our gutters and exterior painting are finally done! The house looks great and the gutters have worked well during the last little rain we had. The contractor hasn’t given us our invoice yet, so the money is still sitting in our checking account collecting piddly interest. I called him yesterday and he expects the invoice to go out at the end of this week. I’d rather just pay him and not have it hanging over our heads, but we don’t know how much wood he used, so we only have the estimate to go off of.

My 401(k) contribution and match haven’t made it to my account yet, so there is about $1000 floating around in the ether and not accounted for yet. By law the money has to be in my account by the 15th, but until then, the payroll company can earn interest on it (and everyone else’s). I didn’t know that until we started using this payroll company, previously the money was in my SIMPLE IRA about the same time as my paycheck was in my checking account.

My student loan processor hasn’t auto debited my account yet, so I have no idea what the interest will be for last month other than an educated guess. I don’t particularly like the processor though, for multiple reasons, and I’m using it as a reason to pay the loans off faster.

We’re taking a long weekend later this month to take Daughter Person to a Day Out with Thomas – she’ll get to ride a real steam train (Strasburg, PA) that’s dressed up as Thomas the Tank Engine (her current favorite character). We’re going to spend the weekend in Lancaster and show her some of the PA/Amish countryside as well. We’ll be spending some money on a hotel, and some extra gas and eating out, but it’s all been accounted for in the budget.